haltenberger



July 4, l939 J. HALTEN-Bl-:RGER Re. 21,138

AUTOMOBILE ofiginal Filed May 2, 1951 s sheets-sheet 2 July 4,'1939 J. HALTENBERGER AUTOMOBILE original Filed May 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y JWnto/ TuALsa HHLTENBEQGER,

Reiseued July 4`, 1939 UNITED sTATE AUTOMOBILE s Jules Haltenberger, Ann Arbor, .Mieh.

Original No. 2,032,876, dated March 3, 1936, Se-

rial No. 534,568, May 2, 1931. Application for reissue May 16, 1939, Serial No. 274,073

19` Claims.

My invention is concerned with automobiles of the type in which the engine is mounted at or near the rear end of the automobile and is operatively connected to the rear wheels through the usual clutch, change-speedftransmission mechanism, and differential gearing. Mounting the engine transversely and preferably at the rear of the automobile frame is not new with me, as it has been done by prior inventors;'but in prior constructions of which I am aware the arrange- It is the object of my invention to arrange the i driving mechanism of the automobile at the rear end of the frame in such a Way that a standard engine can -be used and without the necessity for departing greatly from body designs which are at presen-t in favor. Another object is to obtain in an automobile provided with engine and driv- -ing mechanism at the rear those advantages which result from the use of,4 independent wheel springing. A further object of my invention is to provide an adequate and eiilcient -cooling system lfor v use in an automobile having the engine mounted at the rear.

In carrying out my invention, Il mount the engine at the rear end of the automobile with its crank-shaft arranged transverselyv of the automobile frame, the engine preferably being located in rear of a standard type of rear axle. v When the engine is relatively long the change-speed'transmission mechanism, instead of being disposed in alinement with' the engine as is the customary practice, is placed ahead of the engine andis operatively connected thereto in any desired manner. Locating the engine at the rear end of the automobile makes it necessary, if the engine is of the liquid-cooled type, either to locate the the flow of such liquid through the two radiators.-

lThe accompanying drawings illustrate my intion where it is not exposed to the air-draft.

vention: Fig, 1 is a fragmental plan showing the t rear end of an automobile chassis; Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation of the rear end of the automobile chassis illustrated in'Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modiiied arrangement of the parts; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, largely diagrammatic, illustrating the engine-cooling system; and Fig'. 5 is a detailed View illustrating the temperature-responsive device which controls flow of the cooling liquid.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the side members I U of the automobile frame extend rearwardly beyond the rear axle housing ll and, at or near their rear ends, support the engine I2. Associated with the engine at one end thereof is a clutch (not shown) located in .i clutch-housing I3, such clutch being of any densv sired type and serving to control the operative connection between the engine and a. clutch-shaft I4. The engine is so mounted that its crank shaft extends transversely of the automobile frame, the clutch shaft I4 desirably being in line With the crankshaft and also being located with its axis transverse to the automobiie frame.

The .change-speed transmission mechanism I5 is disposed within a casing i6 located ahead of the engine near that end thereof from which the clutch shaft i4 extends. The change-speed transmission may be of any desired type.

At its outer end, the change-speed transmission mechanism includes a driving shaft 2li operatively connected to the clutch shaft i4. Asindicated in the drawings, this operative connection is provided by a silent chain 2| which drivingly interconnects sprockets 22 and 23 mounted on the outer ends of the clutch shaft Il and the driving shaft 20 respectively.

The driven element of the transmission is 0peratively connected to differential mechanism of any desired type, such differential mechanism being mounted within av diilerential housing 2l forming part ofthe rear axle housing Il. This operative connection is desirably through a propeller shaft 26 connected at one end through a universal joint 21 to the driven element of the transmission l5 and at the other ed through a second universal joint 28 'to the differential gearlng. In order to provide for relative movement .of the axle` housing I I `and the frame of the automobile, the shaft 26 is made of telescoping parts.

, lAs is clear from Fig. 1, the differential housing 25 is displacedvfrom the center of the rear axle housing Il in order to increase the .length of the propeller shaft 26 and to decrease its maximum connects.

ferential housing'is displaced from the center of,

anguiarity relative to the shafts which it inter- Aside from the fact that the difthe axle housing, the axle housing may be of any desired standard construction having drive wheels 28 rotatably mounted at its ends,

In the arrangement illustrated in-Fig. 1, the drive is'of the Hotchkiss type in which torque and driving thrust are transmitted from the axle housing i I to the automobile frame by the springs l 30 through which the frame is supported from the .axle housing.

As is clear from Fig. 2the engine, which is shown as oimthe typein which the several cylhave found it convenient to depart from'the conventional practice in shaping the rear ends of the two side .members I ofthe automobile frame. As shown in Fig. 2, the left-hand side member I0 is oi' substantially conventional design, having the usual kick-up" in the vicinity of the axle housing Il to provide clearance. The other or right-handside' member Il, however, is of diierent shape. Beginning at a point in advance of the rear axle, it\ slopes upwardly, this slope being continued for a considerable distance'in rear of the axle housing Il, the side member being shown as attaining its greatestvelevation at a point approximately above the engine crankshaft. By this arrangement I am enabled to dispose the clutch-shaft I4, the transmission drive shaft 20, and the chain 2| beneath Athe righthand frame member I0, thus making it possible to increase the over-all length of the engine, clutch, and clutchshaft Il without the necessity for widening the automobile frame or increasing the tread of the rear wheels.

In the modification of my invention illus# 1 trated in Fig. 3 the engine I2 and transmission mechanism enclosed in the casing I5 are disposed as before-namely, the transmission mechanism is `disposed ahead of the engine adjacent one -end thereof. In this arrangement, instead of a. chain-drive, I have shown gearing 35` for the u vment may take any desired form, that shown in the drawings being eiected by securing the rear end of the diiferential housing 38 to the front o! the engine crank-case, but any other 'method of support may be used if desired.

The drive wheels 2 9 are rotatably supported respectively on arms 45 which extend rearwardly from the wheel axes and are pivotally attached on horizontal transverse axes to the rear end of the automobile frame, this attachmentconveniently being eiected by journaling 4the arms I5 provided by a leaf spring 41.

'spring 41 is secured to the automobile frame or provided by a belt.

on the outwardly projecting ends of a tubular cross-member I6 which extends transversely of the automobile frame and is secured to the side members Iii adjacent the rear ends thereof.

At or near their front ends, the two arms 45 are resiliently connected to the automobile frame, this connection being shown in the drawings as At its center, the

te somepart rigid therewith, such as the differential housing 38.l The spring extends transversely and at its ends engages the two arms 45.

Each of the drive. wheels 28 is connected to the differential mechanism through a pair of universal joints D and 5| and through a telescoping propeller shaft 52.

One oi the objections to independent wheel suspension in automobiles of the conventional typei. e., automobilesl in which the engine is disposed with its-crank shaft parallel to the longitudinal center line of the frames-is that the transmission of transverse vibrationv and torque reaction of the engine to the automobile yframe .is considerably greater than when rigid axles are used. By mounting the engine so that transverse vibration and torque reaction occur in planes transverse to the axes of the wheels, this objection to independent suspension of the wheels is eliminated.

The cooling system which I prefer to employ with a liquid-cooled engine mounted at the rear of the frame is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4. In this arrangement, a radiator 55, which may be considerably smaller than standard proportions, is mounted at the rear end of the automobile, conveniently above the clutch housing i3. The radiator 55 is disposed in a vertical plane generally parallel to the longitudinal center-line of the automobile and may have associated with it the usual radiator-cooling fan 56,\which is mounted on a shaftVV 56'.v The transverse arrangement of the engine permits the fan shaft 56 to be parallel to the engine crank-shaft and allows of a simple fan-shaft drive such as is rIn accordance with usual practice, the upper portion of the water-jacket of the engine is connected to the upper end of the radiator through a conduit 51, while the lower end of the radiator-is connected through a conduit 58 to the inlet of an engine-driven pump 59 that discharges into the lower portion of the engine water-jacket.

In cool weather, the radiator 55 will provide all the cooling required. The pump 59.will circulate the cooling liquid upwardly through the water-jacket', and to the radiator 55 through the As the water passes downwardly conduit 51.

les

through the radiator it is cooled by the'k air draft induced bythe fan 56, and the cooled liquid'is returned to the water-jacket of the engine by the `pump 59.

To provide for the greater cooling capacity necessary in hot weather, I mount at the front end of the automobile an auxiliary radiator B0 and I provide `means for connecting this auxiliary radiator into the liquid-circulating sysl 64 shuts off direct communication between. theV pump 59 and the water-jacket of the engine, conf nects the pump to the branch conduit 62, and connects the branch conduit B3 .to the lwaterjacket of' the engine. It will be apparent, there- .-fre, that the engine-cooling liquid, after passing through-the radiator 55 at the rear of the automobile, will be forced by the pump 59 through the conduit 62' to the bottom of the radiator 60. The liquid will pass upwardly through the radiator 60 and rearwardly through the conduit 63- to enter the water-jacket of the engine.

Upon a decrease in the temperature of the circulating cooling medium, the valve 54 will move from the full-line to the dotted-line position shown, and in such dotted-line position will open direct communication between the pump and the water-jacket of the engine in order that the cooling medium .discharged from the pump may flow directly into the engine lwater-jacket without passing through the auxiliary radiator section 60.

By this arrangement of dual radiators 55 and l 60, I eliminate the excess cooling capacity which most automobiles possess except in extremely hot weather. That is, except in extremely hot weatherfthe radiator section 55 will be adequate to cool th engine, and the cooling medium will not circulate through theauxiliary radiator 60 at the front end of the automobile. In extremely hot weather, when the capacity of the radiator 55 is insuiilcient adequately to cool the engine, the valve $4 will be movedto the position illustrated in full lines in Fig; 5, and the engine cooling medium will be circulated through both the radiators 55 and 60.

The engine cooling-system is provided with an overfiow pipe 66 associated with the rear radiator 55, such pipe communicating with the interior of the system at a point near the top of the rear radiator 55. The conduits 62, and 63 and the front radiator 6D are sealed to prevent the` escape of water from the cooling system otherwise than through the overflow pipe 68. 'This prevents the loss of cooling medium which might result when the automobile is on an incline with the radiator sections 55 and 6l at different ele-,

vations. By circulating the cooling medium'upwardly through the front radiator BI) and discharging it from the top of such radiator, I prei vent the formation of an air lock which might interfere with circulation of the cooling vmedium. y

It will be noted from Figs. 1, 3 and 4 that the conduit 51, which conveys the coolingmedium from the engine to the radiator Il, isA connected to the water-jacket of the engineiat the opposite end of the engine from that at which the radiator ills located. By 'this arrangement I decrease or eliminate 'the tendency of the cooling medium to be thrown -into the radiator and to escape through the overilow pipe under the invfiuence `of centrifugal force which results when Lthe automobile-is negotiating turns at right speeds.

said engine and said axle housing and adjacent one side of said frame,'and power-transmitting connections between said engine and said changespeed transmission mechanism and between the latter and said wheels. said connections includ# ing differential mechanism supported in said housing near that end thereof which is opposite said transmission mechanism.

2. In an automobile having a frame, rear drive wheels, and an axle housing 'on which said wheels are mounted, an engine mounted on said frame in rear of said axle housing, said engine being disposed transversely of said frame; changespeed transmission mechanism disposed spatially between saidengine and said axle housing, and power-transmitting connections between said engine and said change-speed transmission mechanism and between the latter and said wheels, -said last named power-transmitting connection including a differential ymechanism spaced .laterally of said frame from said change-speed transmission mechanism. '3. In an automobile having a frame, rear drive Wheels, means resiliently and independently connecting'said ,wheels to said frame, an engine YYmounted transversely on said frame in rear of a vertical plane containing the axes of said wheels, lchange-speed transmission mechanism disposed between said engine and such plane and near one side of said frame, differential mechanism supported by said engine near the transverse center of the frame, and power transmitting 'connections for connecting said engine to said wheels lthrough said transmission and differential mechanism.

-4. In an automobile having a frame, rear drive Wheels,`and an axle housing on which said wheels are mounted, an engine mounted on said frame near therear of said frame, said engine being disposed transversely of said frame; change-speed transmission mechanism disposed between said engine and said axle housing and adjacent one side of said f rameyand power-transmitting vconnections between said engine-and said changespeed transmission mechanism and'between the latter and said wheels, said connections including differential mechanism supported in said housing near that end thereof which is opposite said transmission mechanism. i

' 5. In an automobile having a frame. rear drive ,fwheels, and anpaxle housing on which said wheels are mounted, an engine mounted on said frame v near the rear of said frame, said engine being cluding a diiierential mechanism spaced laterally of said frame from said change-speed transmission mechanism.

6. In an automobile, a frame, approximately coaxial drive wheels for the automobile located near the rear of said frame, an engine supported from said frame in transverse position near said drive wheels and with its crankshaft in rear of a vertical plane containing the axes of said driving wheels, a power output element in alinement with said crankshaft at the end oi' said engine, a differential mechanism differential mechanism, and means for resiliently and independently connecting said wheels to said frame.

7. In an automobile, a frame including sidemembers, a cross-member interconnecting said side-members at their rear ends and providing journal bearings at its ends, a forwardly extending'swinging arm pivotally moun'tetd on each of said bearings, a supporting wheel rotatably mounted on each of said swinging arms, said two wheels being approximately co-axial, an engine transversely mounted between said cross-member and a. vertical plane containing the 'axes of said wheels, means for operatively interconnecting said wheels to said engine, and springing means interposed between said frame and each of said swinging arms.

8. In an automobile, a frame, a pair of swinging arms journaled on a generally transverse axis on said frame, frame supporting wheels carried respectively by said arms, an engine mounted transversely on said frame between said axis and a vertical plane containing the axes of said wheels, a differential housing mounted on said frame between said wheels and containing diierential mechanism, means including a drive shaft interconnecting the output end of said engine to said diierential mechanism, articulated axle shafts interconnecting said djierential mechanism and Vsaid wheels, and springing means interposed beulated axle shafts interconnecting said differential mechanism and said wheels, and springing meansinterposed between said arms and said frame. l

10. In an automobile having a frame, rear drive wheels, means resiliently and independently connecting said wheels to said frame, an engine mounted transversely on said frame in rear of a vertical plane containing the axes of said wheelsf change-speed transmission mechanism disposed between'said engine and such plane and near one side of said frame, and power-transmitting `means including di'erential mechanismv for connecting said engine to said wheels through transmission mechanism.

11; The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said transmission and differential mechanisms are rigid with said engine. Y'

12. In an automobile, a frame, a. pair ofdrivesaid located between saidV .wheels and operatively interconnected therewith,

wheels for the automobile, means resiliently and independently connecting said wheels to said frame, an internal combustion engine supported from said frame in transverse position with its crank shaft generally parallel to a vertical plane containing the axes of said wheels, a power output element alined with said crank shaft at one end of said engine, a differential housing located at the side of said engine and rigidly secured thereto, and power transfer mechanism connecting said differential with said power-output element and with each of said driving iwheels.

13. In an automobile, a frame, a pair of transversely disposed pivot bearings rigid with said frame, a longitudinally extending swinging arm pivotally journaled on each of said pivot bearings, a `supporting wheel rotatably carried by each o! said arms, said arms and pivot bearings being adapted to maintain the axes of said wheels in, substantially constant relationship to the axes of their respectively associated pivot bearings, a differential mechanism in a housing carried by said frame between said wheels and disposed in a vertical` planecontaining the axes of said wheels, articulated means operatively connecting said differential mechanism to said wheels, means for driving said differential mechanism, and a single transverse spring system carried by said frame on the other side of said wheel-axis containing plane from said pivotbearings, the free-ends of said arms extending through said plane into engagement with said spring system.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13 in .which the axes of said wheels are oppositely inclined with respect to a pla-ne containing the axes of said pivot bearings and cutting said wheel axes, whereby said wheels lean outwardly.

15. In an automobile, a frame, a' pair of drive wheels for the automobile, means resiliently connecting said wheels to said frame, an internal combustion engine supported from said frame in transverse position with its crank shaft generally parallel to a vertical plane containing the axesgof said wheels, a power-.output element alined with said crank shaft `at one end of said engine, a diierential housing located at the side `of said engine and secured thereto, and power transfer mechanism connecting said differential with said power-output element and with each of said drivingwbeels.

16. The combination dened in claim 15 in which the drive wheels are located at the reary of the frame.

17. In an automobile, a frame, a pair of drive wheels for the automobile, means resiliently connecting said wheels to said frame, an internal combustion engine supported fromsaid frame in transverse position with its crank shaft disposed rearwardly of the wheel axes and generally parallel to a vertical plane containingv the axes of said wheels, a power-output element alined with said crank shaft at one end of said engine, a differential housing supported on the automobile and carrying two universal joints and disposed between said wheels, and power transfer mechanism connecting said power output element with said dll'eential and power transfer means between said 1 universal joints and said driving wheels.

18. In an automobile having a frame, rear drive wheels, and an axlehousing on which said wheels -are mounted and which supports the frame, difl:31,138 Y' 5v of the frame, power transmitting mechanism connected between said engine and change-speed mechanism and power Atransmitting mechanism between the change-speed mechanism and dinerential including a generally transversely disposed propeller. shaft connecting the change-speed mechanism with the differential.

- 19. The invention described in claim 18 where y 6 the differential is materially offset from the longi- `tudinal center of the automobile in-the direction which is opposite saidchange-speed mechanism JULES HAL'IENBERGER. 

